Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1887-05-26

expectedly from Paris. Where rs
B~Ianche?a he asked Madame Duloe;
"MademoiselIe is out IN D
grounds" she said, TREMENDOUSLY.
have sent Celine for her"
"Without you, Madame Duioc!" he
| said, sternly; .'do you tell me my
daughter is allowed to wander ABOUT
elone2"
"Ah, mon Dieu, but she will let no
| one follow herI' the poor goyerness
cried, desperately. 49,
! Countess, madame, allow me TO ueii
you, your services are no longer mesa
| ed at Beauiolais." The Count strode
of in search of his daughter in q ter
rible fury. 1t did not lessen when' art
err q half-hour's search, she was ho1
to be found. When near the lake, ne
heard voices and laughter IN the littie
summeI-houss.
Pushing open the door, he saw a
sight which nearly struck him DUMP.
Side by side on the bench sat the rep.
res~entative of the M~aupassants ana
a peasant boy. They were bending
over the same book, and the golden
curls OF Blanche mingled with the
black hair OF her companion.
'sBlanchel" crisd the Count, IN a
voice OF thunder.
The little girl sprang to her ieet,
turning pale, but she did not tremble.
what are you doing with that
boy?" II
II am teaching him to read. papa"
The little girls tones did not falter,
though she was horribly frightened.
"Teaching him to read!" the count
was so furious that his voice trembled.
Back with you to the chateau.you
wicked child. and | will settle with
yor, later. But you, you base-born,
insolent peasant, will lash you IKE
the hound you are!' de raised MS
riding-whip, but Blanche seized it ana
confronted him with a pale face ana
flashing eyes.
"You shall not strike him, papal"
she cried. al made him come. he
dared not refuse. II you strike any
one, strike me, for / did 1T.
Andre through his whole life never
forgot that picture. The man with
his face convulsed by fury, the little
girl looking up with her brave eyes,
ready and willing to suffer in his stead.
After o minute the Count seemed to
recover himself.
go away fromhere, boy" he cried,
"for il ever / meet you again l VIII u
off your ears and your tonguel You
to want to learn! BAH"
This wsLs no idle threat at that time
in France. The grand ~Seigneurs had
the liberty of mutiiating, or even XII
ing their vassals at their own free VIII,
and the boy knew that his fathers
house was no longer safe Tor him.
But his thirst for knowledge, begun
by the lessons of his little mistress,
led him to a Jesuit college, where his
uncle, O. priest, was one of the pro-
fessors. There he remained for six
wears, while the thundeTs of the great
Revolution were growing IN the dis-
lance.
When Andre left college, the guillo-
tine had already cut of many OF the
greatest and noblest names in France.
His education and ability and hatred
of aristoracy soon secured him a posi-
ton OF confidence with Potion, one OF
the Revolutionary leaders.
Andre shuddered at the bloodshed
and violence which had turned France
into a butchers shambles, but then
he dreamed that the outcome would
be liberty.
He had heard that the Chateau of
Beauiolais had been burnt to the
ground, and the count and his daugh-
ter had escaped. Where the counthad
gone he knew not and cared less; but
| he knew that Blanche had been con
cealed by old Theriot, his father, who
had been loyal to his young mistress
in her hour OF peril. He had never
seen her since that fateiul day when
they had been surprised by her father,
but his gratitude and almost adora-
tion had never lessened. One day in
Petion's Office, he overheard n few
wo,ds which made his heart beat fast.
so that old satan, De Maupas-
SAINT, is in the last batch of prisoners?
They will all kiss the basket 1t noon
to-day"
Good" Potion Answered; "has
the viper any brood?"
Zone daughter, as handsome and
insolent as an aristocrate "a be.
She is hiding, they say, with M of
her old servants; but that blood
hound Caresse goes in search of her
tomorrow. He eve fails, Caresse
does not, and she will be in La Force
before twenty-four hours"
As soon as the visitor left, Andre
presented himself before Potion.
General" he said. 81 want a pass
to absent myself for several days, and
to go where / wish. Give me one,
too, at the same time, for my sister"
AHA, Theriot, CO course, my boyi
Something for the good Of the State,
helm? Good patriot that you are!
Describe your sister, and let Nicol
there draw up the passes"
Ihave no space to tell of Andres
Journey to Beauiolais, and how, in
disguise, Blanche escaped with him to
the nearest seaport, where he took
passage for her in q vessel bound for
America. Andre had a cousin settled
on the Teche in Louisiana, and it was
to these humble folk the Countess de
: Maupassant was going.
Farewell, mademoiselle," said the
young man, as they stood together
on the deck OF the vessel. you have
money for your present wants, and I
will forward more to you. Perhaps,
WV = AA'eN1 OfiA OAtAN pNN 1Ous
Blanche raised her face all stream.
ing with tears.
"Come with me now, Andrea she
cried, in her old impetuous
How a i go alone, alone to a
strange land?"
He went. Two years after this, the
young Countess married the garden
sr's son, and their union was a happy
one. Their descendants are numerous
now on the Teche, and you a hear
this story more graphically told by
them than in this short sketch. In
their graves the Countess Blanche and
her devoted hrIsbandl lie side by side,
on a green knoll near the silver waters
OF the Teche,-louth's Companion.
naIaI.a~ - H. VEL.